This invention relates to the field of medical diagnostic instruments, and more particularly to a hand-held blood pressure measuring device.
Typical blood pressure measuring instruments (ie., sphygmomanometers), such as the instrument 10 shown in FIG. 1, include an inflatable sleeve or cuff 14 which can be wrapped about a limb (e.g., an arm or legxe2x80x94not shown) of a patient. The sleeve 14 is inflated by means of a pneumatic assembly 18 which includes a hose 23 permitting interconnection to a port 22 of the sleeve, thereby providing a fluid path to the interior of the sleeve 14.
A gage 26 is also separately tethered through a hose 27 to an adjacent port of the inflatable sleeve 14 and is in fluid communication with the interior of the sleeve, the housing including a dial face 30 which includes measuring indicia 32. A movement mechanism (not shown) provided within the interior of the gage 26 is responsive to changes in pressure of the sleeve interior and causes an attached indicating member to move relative to the measuring indicia 32 on the dial face 30 as the sleeve 14 is inflated and deflated using the pneumatic assembly 18. A stethoscope (not shown) is used to monitor the heartbeats of the brachial artery (when the sleeve 14 is wrapped onto a patient""s arm) and to determine systolic and diastolic pressure of the patient using the gage 26 as the sleeve is inflated to an appropriate inflation pressure and then deflated using a bleed valve 36.
General efforts have been made to further incorporate features of sphygmomanometers together. One such apparatus 40, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, incorporates a gage 44 having a pneumatic bulb 48 which is attached to the bottom of the gage 44 in a hand-held assembly. The combination device 40 is also fluidly connected through a hose 43, one end of which is attached to a port 47 provided in the gage 44, to the interior of an inflatable sleeve 45 (shown only in FIG. 2) and includes a trigger 54, (shown only in FIG. 3) which enables valving 56 (also shown only in FIG. 3) to permit deflation of the inflatable sleeve. This particular device, however, is relatively complex and includes a significant number of intricate parts between the bulb 48 and the gage 44 for successful operation.
It is a primary object of the present invention to overcome the above-noted deficiencies of the prior art.
It is a further primary object of the present invention to provide a blood pressure measuring apparatus which is more compact and easier to use than previously known apparatus.
It is yet another primary object to provide a blood pressure measuring apparatus which effectively combines a gage and a pneumatic inflation/deflation assembly.
Therefore, and according to a preferred aspect of the invention, there is provided a blood pressure measuring apparatus, said apparatus comprising:
an inflatable sleeve which can be wrapped about a limb of a patient;
a gage connected fluidly to the interior of said sleeve, said gage including a movement mechanism which is responsive to changes in pressure within said sleeve; and
a pneumatic bulb fluidly connected to said sleeve for inflating the interior thereof, wherein said pneumatic bulb and said gage are each integrally retained within an elastomeric enclosure.
According to one version, an inflatable bladder is contained within the elastomeric enclosure and attached to valving which is also fluidly connected to the movement mechanism contained within the gage. The apparatus also includes a trigger which enables the release of air/fluid from the sleeve.
According to another version, the elastomeric sleeve itself can be used to inflate and deflate a blood pressure cuff.
For a further understanding of these and objects of the invention, reference will be made to the following Detailed Description which should be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.